The Internet: Are Children In Charge?
Our children are in charge of the Internet? In most homes, the answer to this question is "yes".
“I wonder if Sarah is okay. Her boyfriend recorded them having sex and distributed it throughout the school. I’m so worried about suicide.”, thinks a parent about her daughter who was a victim of sexting and revenge porn.
Do you know who is chatting with your child online? Do they know? Is your child a bully? Victim? Suicidal? This is a global issue. Do we know how to digitally supervise a child in our care?
As a computer specialist and network administrator in education, Charlene Doak-Gebauer1 has created her Theory of Digital Supervision for online child protection, which is included in detail in her new release. The online vulnerabilities of our children have increased by 10,000% (Thorn) in the past few years because of the Internet and actions of unknowns, knowns, and our children. In addition to unknown predators, our children have become victimizers because of their exposure to so much inappropriate content online.
According to Heidi Olson, Kansas City, child-on-child sexual assault has become staggering in numbers in their pediatric trauma unit at Mercy Hospital. In fact, according to Finkelhor (et al 2014), a large research study showed that anywhere from one third to half of all perpetrators are juveniles.
Doak-Gebauer impresses upon everyone that parents globally are faced with this challenging dilemma. She says, “Whenever I speak anywhere in the world, a parent will put up their hand and say they think it is an invasion of the privacy of their child. I ask them ‘Is it invasion or evasion?’ Invasion of privacy or evasion of parental responsibility for a minor?”
She has great concern for our children and exposure to pornography online, which is becoming a very real threat to the health of children. Doak-Gebauer explains that some addicted to pornography; some producing and distributing pornography; some performing sexual assaults on other children; some having erectile dysfunction as male teens caused by porn addiction; some planning suicides online; some bullying peers online; some planning gang attacks online; some planning violent acts to public safety online, and more.
Another issue is the growing objectification of humanity through online violence and a flagrant disregard for the dignity and health of another human being. How often do we hear of children taping the brutality of a group of teens against another child, filmed for online viewing? Children believe they are able to do so because no one is supervising their online activities, nor are they giving the guidance required to teach basic humanitarian behaviours.
Digital Supervision is written as a user-friendly, proactive approach to online child safety. Doak-Gebauer maintains children are being given excessive ownership for their decisions online. Children are too young to be given ownership for decisions that require a higher level of maturity and life experiences.
Laws can change in countries, but without method, parents are at a loss. The addition of this user-friendly Theory of Digital Supervision to traditional parenting is necessary, and will assist parents and adult allies in catching up to the digital age. For example, Doak-Gebauer advises having the router in the parental bedroom for two reasons: firstly, it can be turned off at night without children turning it back on; and, secondly, the location tells the family who is in charge.
Doak-Gebauer is the Founder and Chair of a philanthropic speaking team (the Anti Internet Child Exploitation Team – AICET2), dedicated to speaking about her Theory of Digital Supervision for online child protection. There are Americans and Canadians on the team. She maintains we should work in solidarity for the protection of all children globally. The team works for expenses only and can provide a half-day or full-day conference. If full day, attendees are eligible for a Certificate of Completion for Digital Supervision training. To learn more, contact Charlene at 519 854 1249.
“The Internet: Are Children In Charge?3” is available on Amazon, Chapters, Indigo, Coles, 40,000 distribution channels worldwide.
Charlene Doak-Gebauer
Internet Sense First
+1 519-854-1249
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WATCH NOW: Listen to the author describe her book and her Theory of Digital Supervision. at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qX3FGSXTaw
1 http://www.cdoak-gebauer.com
2 http://internetsensefirst.com/upcoming-events/
3 http://www.amazon.com